Bryan Roberston, 1960 (photo)

Bryan Robertson OBE (1925 – 2002) English curator and arts manager. Started his career by mounting a ground-breaking exhibition of contemporary French art at Cambridge. He was curator of the Whitechapel Art Gallery from 1952 to 1968, creating an influential programme that promoted the works of many emerging modern American and British artists such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko and David Hockney. He also organised the first solo show of Turner paintings since the mid-1800s. Was tipped, in 1964, to become director of the Tate gallery but was not appointed. He became director of the museum of the State University of New York for five years and later continued as an influential freelance curator.